The Jiangyin Hareon Solar Technology Co., Ltd. and Altusvia Energy production lines will be implementing the SmartFactory system enabling them to combine solar PV wafer and cell production liners into a single virtual factory.

Hareon’s Vice President of Operations, Dr. Tobby Wu, says: “We have identified factory automation as an enabling technology that will allow us to balance multiple parts of our internal supply chain to maximise manufacturing efficiency."

Applied Material's SmartFactory can control the entire solar PV manufacturing process, from ingot and wafer to cell and module manufacturing.

The software features pre-built operating scenarios to enable rapid initial deployment and simplify subsequent expansion. In addition, the SmartFactory system can be enhanced with optional plug-in components such as the Applied E3 technology, which interfaces directly with solar PV production equipment.

Charlie Pappis,Vice President and General Manager of Applied Global Services, notes: "We're seeing strong momentum for SmartFactory software for crystalline silicon PV production, especially in China.”